FC: Patent office so laughable that it's been Dilbertized

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

**********

Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2000 12:58:00 -0800
To: farber () cis upenn edu (Dave Farber), freematt () coil com (Matthew Gaylor),
Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com>
Subject: fwd: Patents and Dilbert

>The PTO has so little software patent credibility that it has
>been Dilbertized.  Monday's Dilbert comic reads as follows, with Dogbert
>talking to Dilbert:
>
>      Dogbert:  My patent for no-click shopping was granted.
>
>      Dogbert:  I'm sure some whiners will say it's an obvious idea.
>
>      Dogbert:  You'd better click something or I have to ship you
>                some books.
>
>Which begs the question that will never be answered - if someone actually
>applied for a no-click shopping patent, would near-zero-obviousness-levels
>PTO allow it in light of no-indication needed book/record/CD-of-the-month
>club notices which unless you send back checked off, leads to the automatic
>shipment to you of that month's selection?  Would the PTO be the Patent
>Office or the Rejection Office?
>
>Greg Aharonian
>Internet Patent News Service

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